The Bat/Bab, A Sub-Deb

About the Book

Volume 6 of The Essential Rinehart Collection presents two very special works of Mary Roberts Rinehart.  “The Bat” is an adaptation of a Broadway play written in conjunction with Avery Hopwood.  Considered Mary’s finest work to date, the novel is based in part on her first work, “The Circular Staircase.”  Someone--or something--is trying to frighten Cornelia Van Gorder to death! But the plucky woman doesn't scare easily. In fact, she's always longed to play detective. Until she stumbles on a corpse one storm-swept night, and realizes she's involved in a deadly game with an elusive killer known as The Bat.  

Also included in this volume is the rare and long out-of-print “Bab, A Sub-Deb.”  The author’s most experimental work presents a first-hand account of a writing assignment (the typos are intentional) that leads to tragedy and murder.

About the Author

Mary Roberts Rinehart is a well-known mystery and romance writer. Her memorable tales often combine adventure, love, ingenuity, and humor in a style that is distinctly her own. She creates fast-paced, entertaining, and above all, surprising novels. Most of her fiction eventually erupts into the most startling plot twists imaginable. To this Mary adds a strong dose of realism in the depiction of modern life, with many different classes, corruption high and low, and a great diversity of characters. Mary’s stories have appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, and she is also a published playwright. The Essential Rinehart Collection brings together for the first time the best works of Mary Roberts Rinehart. This multi-volume series features her most interesting novels of mystery, romance, and adventure.